Faith .|. H. J. POTTER ✔

Chapter one-hundred-nine

Later that night, Professor McGonagall had asked Harry to have a talk. She wanted to know about where he went with Dumbledore but he didn't tell her. Dumbledore asked him to keep it a secret, only his friends could know as they could be a great help. When Harry returned to the Gryffindor common room, he knew all eyes were on him. He spotted Dean and Seamus in a corner by the fire so he assumed the boys' dormitories were empty and when he opened the door he was pleased to find out that Faith and Ron were there.

Harry sat down next to Faith and let her lean her head on his shoulder again. 

"They're talking about closing the school," Harry said after a while.

"Lupin said they would," Ron nodded.

There was a pause.

"So?" Ron asked quietly, still afraid anyone might hear despite the fact that they were alone. "Did you find one? Did you get it? A - a Horcrux?"

Harry shook his head, making Faith look up at him with a frown. 

"You didn't get it?" She asked confused. "It wasn't there?"

"No," Harry said. "Someone had already taken it and left a fake in its place,"

"Already taken -?" Ron asked.

Harry took the fake locket from his pocket and threw it in Ron's lap, quickly putting his arm back around Faith. Ron read the note inside it out loud so Faith could hear it too.

"R.A.B.," Ron finished with a deep frown, "but who was that?"

"Dunno," Harry shrugged. It was all for nothing. Dumbledore had been weakened by drinking the liquid from the basin for nothing. If he hadn't, he might've been strong enough to fight back. Snape and Malfoy would have never overpowered him. 

Without speaking another word, the three laid down, they didn't even change into their night robes. Harry's legs were tangled up in Faith's as they held each other close. He could still smell the cinnamon, the smell of blood was gone as she had probably washed it off. Her body felt warm and it calmed him down.

Faith sat up for a moment to pull the covers over their bodies and then laid her head in the crook of his neck, pressing soft kisses against his skin. This embrace made them feel safe and secure. They didn't know how long it was going to last but they hoped they could fall asleep like this until they were old and grey. 

Faith was quick to doze off to sleep but Harry's mind was still too busy, too frantic, to go to rest. He felt her soft breaths on his neck and he watched how her lashes fluttered every time he was close. He planted faint kisses to her forehead and wherever he could reach without waking her up. He knew Ron would never send her away now, after the traumatic night they just experienced but Harry still tried not to make any noise, assuming Ron would need a good night of sleep too. 

About an hour later, Dean and Seamus returned from the common room. They exchanged looks of mutual understanding and went to bed without saying a word. It was completely silent all across the grounds. The phoenix had left Hogwarts, like Dumbledore; every student had probably gone to bed; the teachers were finding a way to organise a funeral for Dumbledore.

But the silence didn't last forever. Just when Harry fell asleep, the second his eyes finally dropped shut, a dream started to play. 

He was in complete darkness ... he knew Faith was somewhere too, he could feel her presence but he wasn't sure if it was in the dream, or because she was sleeping in his arms ... a harsh voice suddenly sounded, ringing in his ears when he realised who it was ...

"Faith Diggory ... bound for life by the Instinctive Binding Curse ..." The hissing voice of Voldemort hurt his head. "A simple choice, Faith ... hand yourself in or death will follow ..."